California's drought and a bark beetle epidemic have caused the largest die-off of Sierra Nevada forests in modern history, raising fears that trees could come crashing down on people or fuel deadly wildfires that could wipe out mountain communities.

Aerial images show vast forests that have turned a rust-color. The epidemic has killed an estimated 40 million trees since 2010 in the central and southern Sierra, and it's spreading north.

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The rest of the report is a 'must' read for Americans, and for that matter everyone interested in the impact of drought and attempts to deal with its effects.

Every few weeks another report surfaces about California's battle with the forces of Nature. We keep waiting for a turnaround and how this plan or that will be implemented soon, next year, within a decade. It may be too late to save large swaths of the state.

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